Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki and Chelsea Tavern invite citizens to attend the inaugural Downtown Wilmington Brew-Fest on Saturday, August 12, 2017, at 821 N. Market St. in Wilmington. Downtown Wilmington’s first craft beer festival kicks off with a VIP tasting at noon. Over 100 brews representing more than 40 local breweries will be featured during the one-day event. General admission is from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., with tickets available for $35 in advance or $40 on the day of the event.

Live music, featuring performances by Dan Corridori, Groove Bros. Inc., and The Spinto Band, begins at 2 p.m. and continues until 7:30 p.m. The event will also feature two local DJs and eleven local restaurants, as well as food trucks and vendors. In addition to the early tasting opportunity, limited VIP tickets, selling for $50 in advance and $55 on Saturday, entitle patrons to enjoy a designated VIP area and access to ten special, hard-to-find brews and beer-friendly finger foods. There will also be free Lyft incentives and Market Street’s first Home Brew Competition.

Mayor Purzycki said craft beer lovers from Wilmington and around the region are invited to Market Street on Saturday for the City’s first Downtown Brew-Fest. “Renewed interest in craft beer and craft-brewing in recent years has had a significant effect on Delaware’s economy, including that of Wilmington,” said Mayor Purzycki. These small but thriving manufacturers are proud of their product which we are happy to feature at Saturday’s festival.”

The Mayor said the first-ever brew fest in Wilmington will also help to preserve a bit of Wilmington’s history. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the “Restore the King” effort sponsored by the Friends of Delaware’s Gambrinus Statue. The iconic 135-year-old King Gambrinus statue adorned the former Diamond State Brewery building at Fifth and Adams Streets from 1882 until 1962 when the brewery was demolished for the construction of Interstate 95.

The 11-foot-tall zinc statue, which was removed from the brewery prior to its demolition, was dropped and shattered in 1978. Its pieces remain in storage. Restoration is estimated to cost about $100,000. Once it is restored, the Friends of Gambrinus plan to donate the king to the Delaware Historical Society on Market Street.

For more information about the restoration of the King Gambrinus statue visit: RestoreTheKing.com